


Travels and Marvels with Tony Stark: The Quest for the Valkyrie

by Veldeia



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Noir
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Getting Together, M/M, Screenplay/Script Format, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2018-12-26 00:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12047814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veldeia/pseuds/Veldeia
Summary: When Tony Stark, businessman-inventor-turned-adventure TV show host, sets out to look for the wreckage of the experimental Nazi airplane that's rumored to be Captain America's final resting place, he finds much more than he was prepared for.





	Travels and Marvels with Tony Stark: The Quest for the Valkyrie

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Round 2 of the Steve/Tony Kink Meme, for the following prompt:  
> " _I'd like to see Iron man Noir reimagined as a modern au, with Tony as a slightly more classy version of one of those tv adventurers (think Josh Gates and Expedition Unknown). His latest quest? Hunting down the wreckage of an experimental Nazi plane. He's not prepared for what he finds. (Take your pick of MCU, Ultimates, or 616 Steve for this)._ "
> 
> This was meant to be a quick short fill and I was going to post it anon on the kink meme post on Dreamwidth, as one does, but then it just kept growing, and suddenly it was neither quick nor short, and it's now very late. Oops. Here it is, anyway, finally. I went for the MCU!Steve option, so this is basically a fusion of MCU and modern AU Iron Man Noir.
> 
> Thanks to [smolsofa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolsofa) for the beta!
    
    
    INT. A ROOM FULL OF WW2 MEMORABILIA
    
    [TONY STARK, businessman, tech genius, adventurer extraordinaire and reality show star, sits in the middle of the room, his charming smile directed at the audience.]
    
    TONY
    Among the many mysteries related to the Second World War, one of the most intriguing is the story of the experimental Nazi airplane known as the Valkyrie.
    
    [Tony lifts up a sleek model airplane, triangular in shape, looking at it intently.]
    
    TONY
    It's rumored to have been the most advanced aircraft of its time, carrying weapons of mass destruction that could've ended the war, if it hadn't disappeared on its first flight in 1945. No one knows exactly what happened on that fateful day, but the disappearance of the Valkyrie is also linked to the loss of Captain America, our first superhero.
    
    [He puts down the airplane and picks up a replica of Captain America's famous, round shield, a fond expression on his face.]
    
    TONY
    I've always been a big fan of Cap. Tell you the truth, I've wanted to go after the Valkyrie for a very long time, but I've never had anything solid to work with. Now, thanks to my stalwart friend Rhodey, I finally do.
    

*****
    
    
    INT. ROOM WITH AIR FORCE INSIGNIA ON WALL
    
    [COLONEL RHODES sits behind his desk, facing the audience, looking as official as ever.]
    
    RHODES
    The Valkyrie is a really interesting case. Most things related to it, to the Nazi research organization who built it, and to the military operations that led to their destruction, are still classified. I was honestly quite surprised when this request I'd filed actually went through, but here we are.
    
    [Rhodes picks up a file folder, raising it towards the audience. The cover is unmarked. He opens it, revealing a sheaf of old documents and some faded photographs.]
    
    

  


* * *

  


"What did you _really_ have to do to get them? Come on, you can tell me, off the record," Tony asks Rhodey. Even though he's joking, he's still a bit sour that he wasn't the one to make the breakthrough. "I've been trying absolutely forever, and nothing's worked, not charm, not guile, not promises of good publicity, not the prospect of us actually recovering something of tactical value and handing it back to them, nothing!"

Rhodey shrugs. "Just asked the right people, I guess," he says modestly. "Sometimes the best way isn't the flashiest way. Anyway, we've got it, now." He hands the folder to Tony over the table.

They're sitting in Rhodey's office, having finished shooting the few lines Rhodey needed to do. Pepper's in one corner, her camera ready for the next bit.

Tony accepts the folder, his eyes still on Rhodey. He squints suspiciously. "So, have you already figured out everything, then? Where am I traveling next?"

"Hey, what do you take me for!" Rhodey complains, spreading his arms. "I know this is a big thing for you, far be it from me to rob you of the joy of discovery."

"Rhodey, you're the best," Tony says, flashes him a grin, and opens the folder. It's clear they're looking at a censored version of the files here; large sections of text are blacked out, and looking at the page numbers, some are missing entirely. The pictures are mostly photocopies, not originals, of course. Still, it's actual evidence in black and white related to the _Valkyrie_ incident—he's not going to look the gift horse in the mouth.

He's rarely been this excited about a project, and that's saying a lot, because he does get easily excited about projects, but this, this is something special. Personal, even. It's not just that the _Valkyrie_ is an intriguing and mysterious aircraft, it's the whole Captain America angle, and through him the link to Tony's dad.

Howard Stark, an inventor like his son, went missing when Tony was very young. Unlike for Captain America, Tony's never had a single lead to follow regarding what happened to Howard, and he's almost given up hope of finding any. Among the few, cherished memories he has of his dad are the stories he told about Cap, and how fond his voice always was then. Howard knew Cap quite well, during the war, and somehow, Tony feels like finding Cap would bring him closer to his dad as well. It'd honor both their memories.

Also, it'd be quite the adventure, he's sure about that.

He starts spreading out the items in the folder on Rhodey's table to get a quick overview of what they've got.

"Okay, boys, if you can behave for a few minutes, I'll shoot some research filler. Try to look smart," Pepper notes. "Then, I'll join in, so we've got some hope of actually getting somewhere with this."

"How about you leave it running," Tony suggests, for about the hundredth time, "and join us right away? I wouldn't mind if the audience understood how much you actually contribute!"

"The answer's still no," Pepper says, also for the hundredth time, shaking her head with a long-suffering look. "You've told them enough times that the ones who actually listen will understand. I don't enjoy being in the spotlight like you do. You can keep it."

  


* * *

  

    
    
    EXT. STARK JET OVER THE ATLANTIC - DAWN
    
    [Tony's sleek private jet is flying over a smooth sea, beautifully lit by rays of the rising sun.]
    
    TONY (VOICE OVER)
    Most stories say the Valkyrie's final resting place lies somewhere in the north. The documents Rhodey helped me acquire supported this, giving a partial trajectory placing it in the Arctic, close to the shores of Greenland, but obviously, that isn't enough to go on. I needed something more concrete and more specific, something to point us in the right area. So, instead of heading north, I found myself traveling towards one of my favorite parts of the world: the Alps. The documents had included the coordinates to the starting location of the Valkyrie's flight, a secret mountain base in Austria. Hopefully, I would find more clues there.
    

*****
    
    
    EXT. AUSTRIAN ALPS - DAY
    
    [Tony is scrambling up a steep rocky slope together with a MOUNTAIN GUIDE, a woman in her fifties with tanned, weather-beaten skin telling of many days outdoors. Both are dressed in outdoor clothing, but while the guide has a regular helmet, Tony's metallic red one seems high-tech, like it probably has a few inbuilt extras. Another difference between them is that the guide's expression is neutral, but Tony is grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying the outing.
    
    The duo climb over an edge to level ground: a decrepit, partly overgrown road zig-zagging up the mountain. It clearly used to be paved in its day, but now, there isn't much tarmac left.]
    
    TONY
    Oh, too bad. Just as things were getting interesting.
    
    GUIDE
    Don't worry, Mr. Stark, I'm sure it will be even more interesting where you are going.
    
    TONY
    Awesome! Lead the way!
    
    [They follow the road up, avoiding traces of recent avalanches and big gaping crevices, until they reach a high metal fence crossing the road, blocking the way. It looks newer than the crumbling road, and has foreboding signs on it: warnings about explosives, radiation and rockfall, and a notice in several languages stating that trespassing is strictly forbidden.]
    
    GUIDE
    Okay, this is where we part ways.
    
    TONY
    Aw. Are you sure you don't want to keep going? You'd be more than welcome to join me. If you're worried about all this...
    
    [He waves a hand at the warning signs.]
    
    TONY
    I have my permissions in order. No illegal trespassing here. As for the other things, I'm sure most of it is just to scare away any hikers who end up here by chance. Everything actually dangerous has been removed ages ago.
    
    GUIDE
    I wouldn't be so certain. If you had heard all the stories about ghosts and booby traps and missing people that I have... 
    
    TONY
    ...I'd be even more curious! Anyway, fair enough. Thanks for taking me here, it's been a pleasure. I'll stop by at your office once I'm back in the valley. Don't drink all that schnapps without me!
    
    [They shake hands, both smiling, then step away from one another, Tony towards the fence, the guide away from it.]
    
    GUIDE
    I'm looking forward to hearing everything about your adventures! Good luck, Mr. Stark. Stay safe.
    
    [The guide heads away. Tony glances at the fence, looking thoughtful. There is no gate on it, but neither is there barbed wire on top. He shrugs, and starts climbing over it.
    
    Having gone over the fence, Tony walks up the remaining stretch of track on the other side, soon arriving at a door set in a cliff face. It's wide enough for a regular car to drive through. It's barred from the outside, with a new-looking, sturdy lock holding the bar in place. Tony produces a key from his pocket and opens the door. A strong gust of wind from inside makes his clothes flap visibly.]
    
    TONY
    Oh, wow! That's the smell of history. Cobwebs, mouldy concrete and mysterious Nazi engineering projects! How exciting is this!
    
    

  


* * *

  


The open door in front of them reveals nothing but darkness.

"So, you're sure this is safe?" Pepper asks. She has put the camera aside as they've stopped to have a snack and change their gear before entering the base. The drone that Jarvis, somewhere far below them, was using for capturing bird's eye views of their hike has also disappeared from view.

"As safe as anything we ever do," Tony returns. He's not worried about the ghost stories, and he meant what he said to the guide: he's pretty sure the place has been cleaned up thoroughly, first by the Allied forces and then by later military historians. Actually, he rather enjoys the aura of mystique the stories give to the place.

"I'm mostly thinking about at that radiation sign," Pepper says, her eyes flicking towards the fence and then back to Tony. He doesn't miss how she glances at his chest before looking at his face again.

Tony rolls his eyes and scoffs. "Pepper, I'll be _fine_ , the VAD is shielded."

When it comes to the the crew, it's something of an open secret that Tony's heart depends on mechanical support. Jarvis knows everything about the ventricular assist device, of course; he's the on-site medtech troubleshooter if something goes wrong. Pepper does most of the camera work and is pretty much always around, so Tony's given her the low-down, too. The third person who knows the whole story is Rhodey, who isn't a part of his crew anymore. Aside from them, he hasn't said a word to anyone, but a few times, he's run into trouble on camera with more people around. Even though that footage never makes it to the actual episodes, there are always rumors. A couple of unfortunate paparazzi shots of him shirtless, showing the telltale surgical scars, don't help either.

Occasionally, he wonders if he should be more open about his implant—he knows he could be a big inspiration to people struggling with similar issues—but he wants to be known as a tech genius and an adventurer, not a poster boy for bionics. Not to mention that some scandalmonger would inevitably show up to claim he's faking it as an incredibly distasteful marketing ploy, since his company has commercialized the device he's got.

"Anyway, I doubt there's gonna be anything in there that goes beyond everyday radon exposure, and if there is, we'll know about it," Tony adds to Pepper. He rummages his bag for the multipurpose scanner he's put together, which he's unofficially calling a tricorder. "You know me. I like taking risks, but only calculated ones. If the place is hot, we'll make a graceful retreat."

Pepper seems satisfied with that, and really, Tony knows she's just as excited about this as he is. She wouldn't follow him around the world if she wasn't. With her widely known reputation as a camerawoman whose work is flawless even in the most challenging circumstances, she could basically pick a job and name her price, and yet, she's still here with him. He knows it's not because of his charisma; they did that dance years ago, and settled on being nothing but friends. No, she's not here because she likes him. She's here because she also loves the thrill of these adventures.

She picks up the camera again, and they set out into the dark passage. Tony turns on the powerful light he's built into his helmet. It packs enough lumens that they normally don't need to worry about additional illumination.

They follow a wide passage into a network of underground halls, all of it very big, and most of it just as empty as he expected. He sees the occasional blip on his scanner, indicating spots contaminated with radiation sometime in the past, but the sources of it are long gone, and the levels are nowhere near to dangerously high. There's no mysterious tech lying around, and even though some furniture remains, all the shelves and drawers have been cleared of any documents.

From Tony's point of view, going through these abandoned passages is thrilling, but he knows it won't make for very good entertainment; the audience will only want to see so many minutes of him roaming dark tunnels, no matter how enthusiastic he is. Still, they need to be thorough. If they can't find any clues here, they'll need to figure out another lead to pull on. He has considerable resources at his use, but he can't very well comb the entirety of the Arctic ocean looking for one sunken plane.

Eventually, they find themselves in the largest hall yet, big enough that Tony's light doesn't reach the back wall. It very much looks like a hangar.

He glances at his scanner and frowns. "That's unusual," he mutters to himself.

Pepper clears her throat behind him, reminding him that he needs to remember his audience.

He dims his light and turns so he's half facing the camera, trying to kick his brain back into presenter mode. "I'm standing right where the _Valkyrie_ was built almost seventy years ago, and I've just picked up a very unusual radiation signature. Unlike anything I've ever seen."

Pepper is making a face, clearly not entirely happy about the sound of that.

"It's barely above background radiation," Tony quickly adds, to assuage her safety concerns. "But the thing is, it doesn't match anything that I've got pre-programmed in this," he waves his scanner, "which should include pretty much everything known to science. Whatever was here—and we know what used to be here—it was highly unusual. This is exactly the sort of clue I've been looking for."

  


* * *

  

    
    
    EXT. THE LADY DORMA, AT SEA - DAY
    
    [The Lady Dorma, a sturdy-looking smallish ship, is making its way through a misty, icy seascape.]
    
    TONY (VOICE OVER)
    The unusual radiation signature I discovered in the abandoned Alpine hideout was the missing piece of the puzzle. I was convinced that combined with the estimated coordinates from the documents, I could now locate the Valkyrie. It was a simple matter of rigging up a detector to pick up even the slightest trace of something similar. Then, all I needed was patience.
    

*****
    
    
    INT. BRIDGE OF THE LADY DORMA - NIGHT
    
    [It's dark outside the windows. CAPTAIN NAMOR stands at the helm of his ship, looking rather dour. On the bridge with him are Tony and EDWIN JARVIS, who are looking at the screen of a laptop perched on a table.]
    
    JARVIS
    You know, Tony, staring at the screen won't help you detect it any sooner. It might take a few days.
    
    [Tony keeps staring at the screen.]
    
    TONY
    I don't want to miss it, okay? I'd regret that for the rest of my life. This isn't just any regular expedition, Jarvis. You know that.
    
    NAMOR
    Have you considered that you might not find anything at all?
    
    [Tony finally looks up to glare at Namor, crossing his arms.]
    
    TONY
    It will be there. I know it.
    

*****
    
    
    INT. BRIDGE OF THE LADY DORMA - DAY (DAWN)
    
    [Day has dawned outside. Namor is still standing at the helm, and Tony is still staring at the laptop screen, cradling a mug of coffee. He yawns.]
    

*****
    
    
    INT. BRIDGE OF THE LADY DORMA - DAY (DUSK)
    
    [It's starting to get dark outside the windows. Another sailor has taken Namor's place. Tony is eating a sandwich as he continues to stare at the screen. Something beeps.]
    
    TONY
    Hah! I've got it!
    
    [Tony turns to face the audience, the widest grin on his face.]
    
    TONY
    I've got it! I've found a matching signature! It's the Valkyrie, it's got to be! I knew it'd be there!
    
    [He punches the air, still clutching a half-eaten sandwich.]
    
    

  


* * *

  


"We're as close as we can get to it, Stark," Namor says. The captain sounds haughty, as he tends to do. Tony's chartered his ship often enough to know it's nothing personal.

That, and he's too giddy to care about a habitual killjoy. They're so close now.

"Okay, here is fine," Tony says, checking the readout once again.

"There's no sign of anything except icebergs on sonar," Namor notes.

"It's there," Tony says, refusing to be discouraged. "It's probably covered in ice, silt or both. I can't pinpoint it either, but it's somewhere in front of us, several hundred feet down."

"How do you want to do this?" Pepper asks. No doubt she's already thinking about the practical details, the underwater camera work, the challenge of conveying the excitement of the scenario to the audience.

Usually Tony prefers to shoot his show on the go, the action scenes unscripted and entirely real, but for something like this, it rarely turns out as impressive as he'd like. Underwater, surrounded by ice, they'll be lucky to get any kind of a picture of the wreck. In such situations, he allows himself some flexibility when it comes to showing an unaltered view of reality.

"I think a recon dive first, to establish what we've got and where it lies," Tony replies thoughtfully. "When we know the details, we can plan how to best shoot the first view."

"Okay, sounds reasonable," Pepper agrees. "I'll tail you with the ROV and see if I catch anything we can use later."

This is the default configuration if the conditions are particularly challenging: Tony dives in his atmospheric diving suit—one of several environmental suits he's got, which have gained him the nickname of Iron Man—and Pepper uses the remotely operated underwater vehicle to follow him around. Again, it's not the same as having a full film crew dive as well, but he's only got the one suit, and honestly, he's happier with everyone else safe on the ship. Diving these waters in regular scuba gear would be far more tricky. He'll be tethered to the ship himself, so the others can reel him back in if things go south.

Not that he expects the reconnaissance dive itself to be dangerous. No, the real fun will start when they enter the _Valkyrie_. That'll be a very different business. Luckily, he's well prepared.

  


* * *

  

    
    
     EXT. UNDERWATER
    
    [Tony is gliding through dark waters in his bulky, red and gold diving suit. The pale shapes of icebergs loom close by. He's slowly sinking deeper, until he comes to a halt in front of a wall of ice. Deep inside the ice, there's a barely distinguishable large shape.]
    
    JARVIS (ON RADIO)
    Tony? According to the data feed, you should be looking at it right about now.
    
    TONY
    I think am.
    
    JARVIS
    And?
    
    TONY
    This is going to take even more work than I thought.
    
    

  


* * *

  


"Well, that was anticlimactic," are Tony's first words once the crew has winched him back on deck and he has his helmet off.

Somehow, it didn't occur to him beforehand that the _Valkyrie_ might be so completely buried. He expected to have to dig through a bit of ice, sure, but not an entire mountain of it. Still, damn if he's going to let that stop him from claiming this discovery.

Going through the tedious routine of getting out of the suit, he's so distracted trying to puzzle out what to do next that he's surprised to find himself standing in the hold wearing only his underlayer.

"Jarvis, we need to build a thing," he announces.

Tony's chief mechanic looks up from the parts he's putting into storage. "And what thing would that be?"

"I want to go through from above. It's a tabular iceberg, right? Flat-topped? We can dig a hole all the way down. If the _Valkyrie_ somehow hasn't been flooded yet, I really don't want to risk causing that," Tony explains.

It makes perfect sense. Actually, this might be really good. He'd thought he'd be diving a wreck. Now, there's a slight change he can abseil into it and actually walk inside it. Of course, there's a much bigger chance it'll be filled to the ceiling with ice, but he prefers to focus on the other alternative.

"All right," Jarvis says, though his expression is far from convinced. "Just a thought, but have you considered contacting Rhodes before we move on with this? He and his superiors would probably appreciate knowing we found it before it's on prime-time TV."

"I'll tell them, just not quite yet," Tony promises. He doesn't want to risk the USAF barging in and forcing him to hand over the operation. This is his discovery. Obviously, the _Valkyrie_ doesn't really belong to him, but the joy of finding it, the excitement of being the first to enter it—he's keeping that. "Technically, we don't know what we've found, anyway," he adds. "We don't know that the _Valkyrie_ is the source of that radiation. It's just the best guess I've got."

  


* * *

  

    
    
     INT. SHIPBOARD WORKSHOP
    
    [Tony and Jarvis are hard at work in the ship's hold, which has been turned into a temporary workshop.]
    
    TONY (VOICE OVER)
    The Valkyrie was not going to surrender its secrets easily. Based on what I'd seen underwater, we'd need to drill a hole some two hundred feet straight down into the iceberg to reach the plane. But I wasn't about to give up. It's times like these when my engineering background really comes in handy—that and having an amazingly skilled crew working with me. My idea was to build a cryobot: a semi-independent probe that would melt its way through the ice and come to a halt when it hit a hard surface. Accomplishing that took several days and a lot of creativity, using the limited resources at hand, but eventually, everything was ready for that one last, big push.
    

*****
    
    
    EXT. ICY PLAIN - DAY
    
    [A small crowd of people is standing on icy ground around the cryobot: a cylindrical contraption that looks like a thick missile, set in a frame, hanging with its tip just touching the ice.]
    
    TONY
    Okay, we're ready to roll! Stand back, everyone.
    
    [Everyone backs away from the cryobot, except for Tony, who steps up to it to flick a switch, then pulls back as well. The probe starts revolving slowly, and begins to sink into the ice.]
    
    VOICE FROM THE CROWD
    Wow! It actually works!
    
    TONY
    Pretty cool, isn't it?
    
    

  


* * *

  


According to the numbers that Tony and Jarvis have run, the cryobot should melt its way through some ten feet of ice every hour. Not exactly speedy, but it's the best they could do. Considering the 200-foot depth estimate, that means they're looking at a twenty-hour wait. Assuming the bot doesn't run across some obstacle first. Rocks or other debris might slow down or even halt its progress. The worst case scenario is that it'll come to a standstill, so that they'll have to haul it up and start again at another location.

Five hours have passed, and the bot is still going. So far so good. Another fifteen to go.

The sun isn't far from the horizon anymore, and it's starting to get seriously cold. Tony is well prepared for it, but he can still feel the bite of it on the exposed parts of his face. He crosses his arms tightly, as if that could somehow keep him warm.

"I'm not sure why you even needed to build that thing. Give it another ten hours and your pacing will have dug a trough that goes all the way down," Pepper comments. She's just re-joined his company, checking the lighting and adjusting the position of the camera she's got set up.

Tony finishes walking another circle around the man-sized hole in the ice, coming to a halt right in front of the camera. "It's just been one really, really long wait, and now I'm so close I can almost taste it," he says, more to her than to the possible future audience. Most of this footage won't be used anyway.

"Are you planning on sleeping at all?" Pepper asks. The question sounds more curious and matter-of-fact than disapproving.

"Oh, I'll try. If this goes as planned," Tony says, motioning at the hole in the ice, "I'll need to be ready for tomorrow."

He keeps pacing for another couple of hours, until it gets entirely dark, and so cold that even the balaclava he's put on to cover his face feels like it's not enough. The cable the bot is attached to is still moving, ever so slowly, and he can hear the buzz of the bot's motors from the hole it's digging.

He'd like nothing more than to stand guard here all night, but he is well aware that if he really gets to enter the _Valkyrie_ tomorrow, that could involve some significant physical and mental challenges. He can't be a half-asleep zombie; he needs that rest. Not to mention that he needs to recharge.

Reluctantly, he turns his back to the slowly deepening shaft in the ice and returns to the _Lady Dorma_ for the night.

Sleep is exactly as slow to come as he expected it to be. The tug of the power cord at his chest every time he shifts in his narrow bunk bothers him way more than usual. At least he won't damage anything if he accidentally dislodges it; the VAD has no external parts and is charged through the skin. Thank Tesla for wireless power transfer.

He can't stop thinking about what he might uncover beneath the ice tomorrow. He's been hell-bent on finding the wreck, and he's been so excited, he hasn't really stopped to consider the more serious issues related to this operation.

He's dived plenty of wrecks before, and visited a number of abandoned military installations, but never anything that's rumored to contain weapons of mass destruction. He doesn't know many details about the _Valkyrie_ , mostly just that it was supposedly very dangerous. Tony's first guess for what could be so destructive is nuclear weapons, which he definitely can't rule out based on the radiation readings he's gotten so far. The thought is enough to make his skin crawl. And if it's not nuclear weapons, then what? Biological or chemical weapons of some kind? That's almost even scarier; as an engineer, he can understand nukes, but viruses or poison gases are far from his field of expertise.

Jarvis's suggestion that he should tell the military about this keeps returning to his mind. He may enjoy living dangerously, but he doesn't actually have a death wish. Is he pushing this too far? Should he just step back and let someone who's properly prepared take care of this?

And yet… He thinks about Captain America whose final resting place this probably is. Cap has been such a big influence in his life, the perfect example of a man who dedicated his life to his ideals, and fought his way through every obstacle with unwavering strength of will.

He thinks about his dad, and how much time Howard spent looking for Cap after the war. His dad would want him to do this. He may never find out what happened to dad, but he can find out what happened to Cap.

The person who finds Captain America's worldly remains shouldn't be some bomb disposal specialist just doing their job. It should be someone to whom it's truly meaningful. Someone like Tony.

Whatever dangers lurk down there, he's not going to change his mind about this. He'll be very cautious, but he will go in there, and only then will he hand his discovery to more capable hands.

  


* * *

  

    
    
    EXT. ICY PLAIN - DAY
    
    [The frame that was holding the cryobot above the ice has been replaced with a different one. Tony stands next to it, wearing a red and gold suit that is similar to his diving suit, but slimmer in design. Again, there is a crowd surrounding him and the hole in the ice.]
    
    TONY (VOICE OVER)
    The digging operation was a great success, and the bot returned with the information of having hit a very promising metal surface exactly 216 feet down. The way was clear for me to move on. This was the riskiest part of the entire operation: while the abandoned Alpine base had been visited by countless people before me, I would be the first person entering the Valkyrie since it was buried in ice about seventy years ago.
    
    [Jarvis attaches a cable to the back of Tony's suit. Its other end runs from a winch to the frame. He steps around to face Tony.]
    
    JARVIS
    Ready to go?
    
    [Tony gives him the thumbs up with his red metal gauntlets, and they begin lowering him into the icy depths.]
    

*****
    
    
    INT. INSIDE THE VALKYRIE
    
    [A large, empty space is illuminated by a single bright beam of light, descending slowly from the ceiling: the lamp on Tony's helmet as he's lowered into the wreck of the Valkyrie. The only sound is that of Tony's rapid breathing.]
    
    

  


* * *

  


"You might want to relax a bit, or you'll run through your air supply in record time. And I don't like the look of that battery consumption, either," Jarvis comments on the radio, mild rebuke in his voice.

"And that's gonna have to be edited out, I have an image to keep up," Tony returns. He can't say Jarvis isn't right to remind him—his vitals are definitely stuck on the higher side of normal—but he can't really help it. Not here. Not now. "You come down here yourself and try to relax."

"I'd rather not," Jarvis says. "So please try not to do anything stupid."

Aside from Tony, Jarvis is the only other person around who knows how to fix the exosuit in the extremely unlikely event of a glitch. If Tony gets stuck down here, it's Jarvis who'll have to come after him, and he'll need to wear more traditional protective gear. Of course, if Tony needed to give odds, his heart is more likely to fail than the suit, regardless of the extra parts he's got. The suit can take pretty much anything except for an actual nuclear explosion, and since the _Valkyrie_ didn't blow up when it hit the ice, it's unlikely to do so now.

"I don't really want you to need to come down here either," Tony tells Jarvis. "It's damn impressive, though. Are you seeing this?"

He's dangling in midair, in a space that is much larger than he expected. The _Valkyrie_ was a beast of a plane. Below him hovers one of the handy drones that they use to film these kinds of scenarios. He hopes the footage will do justice to how awe-inspiring the place is.

"It's not bad at all," Pepper comments. "I think we can use this."

Looking down, Tony can spot ice here and there, showing where the plane's hull has cracked. Luckily, most of the interior is clear. Everything is just as it was, all those decades ago. He'll need to move carefully here to preserve the untouched nature of this icy mausoleum. The suit is good for that as well: just as it protects him from the environment, it'll also protect the environment from him. He won't be leaving a single hair behind.

Hanging from the winch, his descent is slow and steady, not at all like abseiling on a rope where he can control the speed himself. It doesn't help with his nerves at all. Finally, his feet hit the ground.

He feels like he's about to take the first steps on the Moon.

"I'm down," he informs the crew. "Gonna detach the tether now."

There's no reply. That's weird.

"Jarvis? Pepper? Anyone?" he calls out, only to be met with more silence.

The status of the suit comm system shows green, so there shouldn't be any problems at his end. The drone is still hovering a few meters behind him, but that doesn't mean much; it'll switch to independently following him around if it loses the connection. Could something in the _Valkyrie_ be blocking the signal? The radiation levels are clearly higher here than in the Alps, but this isn't an effect he'd expect.

"Jarvis, do you copy?" he tries once more. Still nothing.

The smart thing right now would be to grab the cable and tug it to send the emergency signal up top, so they would pull him up. Staying in touch with the crew is an important safety precaution. It's extreme sports and adventuring 101. If he wanders off now and something goes wrong, the others won't know about it. Then again, the others do know where he is, and Jarvis knows how much air he's got, so they will come looking, sooner or later, if he doesn't contact them within a reasonable safety margin.

He's actually here, standing on the floor of the _Valkyrie_ , looking at what probably was the last thing Captain America saw when he lived. He can't possibly go back now. Not without taking at least a quick look around. Maybe it turns out this communications blackout is just some temporary hiccup. If not, he'll have the others winch him up soon.

He hits the switch to release the tether and takes his first step on an even, metallic floor covered in dust and ice crystals.

Ahead of him, the wide fuselage of the plane curves inwards, tapering towards the nose. It's an open space all the way to where the cockpit would normally be, with a big window at the front. Some of the structures around that area are collapsed and bent, no doubt from the crash landing. He finds himself walking that way, wondering if that was where Cap was; whether he might have been fighting for control of the plane, and whether he was looking out of that window, seeing the icy waters approaching all too fast.

Tony's eyes land on a block of ice, close to the front, and through the ice, his lamp reaches a splotch of bright color. Red and blue.

He hurries closer, as much as he can hurry in the suit that wasn't built for speed. Can it be what he thinks?

  


* * *

  

    
    
    INT. INSIDE THE VALKYRIE
    
    [Tony kneels in front of a large block of ice with the unmistakable, round, red, blue and white shape of Captain America's shield trapped inside.]
    
    TONY
    Found you.
    
    [He reaches out with one hand to touch the surface of the ice, a reverent gesture, but then, draws it back, as if shocked.]
    
    TONY
    Wait—What the—that's not possible!
    
    

  


* * *

  


For one brief moment, Tony feels like a pilgrim who's finally reached the end of his journey, like he's kneeling in front of some sacred altar, but the confusing readings on the HUD cut that moment short.

The detection algorithm he designed for rescue scenarios is telling him there's someone alive inside the ice.

There has to be another explanation, because that can't possibly be right. Not after seventy years. Not even Captain America could survive that long, down here. No way.

With that and the comms blackout, it seems more likely that the suit's got some kind of major OS malfunction going on, even though it hasn't thrown any errors. He frowns at the HUD, and starts running a quick system diagnostic.

The suit's sensors shut down while it goes through the tests. Tony waits, his eyes fixed on the captivating sight of the shield and its bearer in front of him, his thoughts a million miles away. That's why he doesn't realize he's not alone anymore until a voice speaks up from behind him.

"Very good, Mr. Stark. Now, you can make your way back to the surface. We'll take over from here."

Tony pauses the system troubleshoot, stands up and turns around as fast as the suit's joints allow. Some ten paces from him stands a man wearing black clothes suited for the Arctic weather and an SCBA mask. As he steps closer, Tony gets a glimpse of his face through the clear plastic of the mask. It looks like he has an eyepatch.

What the hell is going on?

First, the loss of communications, then the mysterious signs of life where there should be none, and now, someone's trying to poach his discovery?

Tony raises his hands in a gesture that he hopes makes him look menacing, with the suit on. "Who, exactly, is 'we'? If you've done anything to my crew..."

He considers his options if this turns into a fight. That's really not what the suit is designed for: it's for protection and for assisting in salvage operations. That means he's pretty much stab proof and bullet proof, but he doesn't have much in the way of offensive capability. The intended uses for the suit do include heavy lifting, so it gives his strength a significant boost. He'll be able to throw a pretty mean punch, but he'll be so slow, it'll be easy to dodge. He's also got laser cutters in the gauntlets, which he used to cut a hole in the fuselage to get in here. They'll do serious damage if aimed at a person, but he'd rather avoid using them when he doesn't know what kind of explosive materials might be around. All in all, he'd rather avoid violence.

"Your friends are fine," the man says, spreading his arms placatingly. "I'm Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD. We're a government agency who's used to dealing with this sort of thing."

"Yeah? How come I've never heard of you, then? I deal with this sort of thing, too," Tony returns suspiciously. He's pretty sure that during his career, he's already dealt with, and probably annoyed, every official instance in several countries that have anything to do with history and archaeology.

"Oh, I know you do, seeing as I'm the reason you're here in the first place," Fury says, all too smugly to Tony's taste.

"No, you're not," Tony says.

"How do you think Rhodes got hold of those documents when you'd had no luck before? That was me. See, we've been looking for the _Valkyrie_ for a long time," Fury explains, "but we kept coming up short. I thought we should try something a little outside the box. I've been keeping an eye on you, Stark, and you're good. Brilliant, even. I think you're wasting your talents doing a TV show."

"It's a team effort." Tony grits his teeth, doing his best to reel in the impulse to see if he could get a punch in before Fury dodges it. He doesn't like this guy's attitude, and what he likes even less is being used without his knowledge.

"Would you have done it if I'd asked you?" Fury asks.

"Maybe," Tony replies. He probably wouldn't have. He doesn't really do commissions.

"Really?" Fury's one visible eye narrows skeptically. "Well, whichever the case, we're here, and I've got my own crew up top ready to get to work. It's time for you to step aside."

"And if I don't?" Tony says, stepping backwards instead, so that his heels almost touch the ice inside which Captain America lies.

It occurs to him that Fury and his goons must be the reason Jarvis and Pepper stopped responding on the comms. There was nothing wrong with the suit's communications system, and if that's fine, then there's probably nothing wrong with the rest of it, either, and if there isn't—maybe Cap really is alive.

"Am I not making this clear enough for you?" Fury says in a long-suffering tone. "This isn't a conversation. This isn't your operation anymore. This is way above your league, Stark."

"What makes you so sure it's within yours, then?" Tony returns. He's not going without a fight. At least not without a verbal one. He's starting to think he might also give a physical one a shot, if it comes to that. "I've got numbers suggesting that there's someone alive inside this block of ice," he adds, hoping to at least throw Fury off a bit.

Fury doesn't seem surprised in the least. Instead, he smiles. "Good, I was hoping there might be. So, you think you're better prepared to deal with that than we are? How are the medical facilities on that ship of yours?"

Damn. He's not wrong; Tony hadn't considered that at all. Bringing someone out of decades of accidental suspended animation, or whatever this is, is certainly going to be a delicate process. He's not seen the infirmary on the _Lady Dorma_ , but he can guess it's not very big, and definitely not set up for something as unusual as this.

"Okay," Tony admits, "you've got a point. Still, you wouldn't be here now without me showing the way. You owe me."

"Don't worry, you'll be more than adequately compensated for any financial losses," Fury says.

"I don't care about the finances. I don't need more money. I've got to finish filming this episode, because it's the best and most important one I've ever done," Tony insists.

Fury shakes his head. "Out of the question. SHIELD is not a publicly known organization. We can't be a part of your production."

"We don't need to show you. We'll edit it carefully. You can check the end result before it airs," Tony suggests.

"Hm. Something like that just might be doable," Fury says thoughtfully.

"And I want to be around when you wake up Cap," Tony adds. Maybe that's a bit much, but he needs to be there. "He's almost like a relative. He was good friends with my dad."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Fury says. "I'll consider it. I suggest we return to the surface to continue these negotiations."

  


* * *

  

    
    
    INT. INSIDE THE VALKYRIE
    
    [Tony is using laser cutters on the gauntlets of his exosuit to carve the block of ice containing Captain America to a more manageable shape.]
    
    TONY (VOICE OVER)
    I still couldn't quite believe it myself, but what had begun as a quest to uncover a wreck had unexpectedly turned into a rescue operation. I hadn't found Captain America's remains. I'd found the man himself, encased in ice, but still alive, probably thanks to the unique changes the super soldier serum had caused to his physiology.
    

*****
    
    
    INT. INSIDE THE VALKYRIE
    
    [The block of ice is now a neat, rectangular shape, like an icy coffin. It's standing upright on the floor of the Valkyrie as Tony secures it with cables.]
    
    TONY
    All set, start lifting now. Nice and easy.
    
    [Slowly, the block of ice is lifted off the ground as the surface crew begins winching it up. Tony pats the side of the ice block.]
    
    TONY
    Not much longer now. We'll get you home, Cap.
    

*****
    
    
    EXT. STARK JET OVER NEW YORK - DAY
    
    [Tony's jet is flying low over the New York cityscape, on the approach.]
    
    TONY (VOICE OVER CONT'D)
    It was obvious that my crew and I weren't prepared to handle the situation alone, so I contacted the authorities to be sure Cap's return to the land of the living would be as smooth as possible.
    

  


* * *

  


"Stark, you are pushing your luck." Fury glares at Tony menacingly with his one visible eye. "I've promised you you'll get to meet him, and you will. That's it. This isn't your show anymore. You don't get to make demands."

"I'm not making demands, I'm trying to stop you from making a massive mistake," Tony returns, unwavering. "You want Captain America to wake up to a lie. That's not okay."

"It's the professional consensus of SHIELD medical staff that he'll do better if he wakes up in a familiar environment," Fury says, as if Tony hadn't heard that already. "He's been through a lot. They want to avoid the extra stress."

"And how long are you thinking of holding up the charade? He'll have to find out soon, anyway," Tony insists. He leans closer over Fury's desk, trying to put all his charisma into play. Not that he expects it to have much effect on Fury, but he's got nothing to lose here. "Say, if you found yourself transported decades into the future, wouldn't you want to know sooner rather than later?"

Fury's face stays neutral, but at least he takes a few seconds to consider his answer. "I suppose I would."

"I'm sure Cap would, too. He deserves to hear the truth right away. He can handle it," Tony goes on.

"And I expect you're going to offer to be the one to tell him," Fury says, as if he can see right through Tony. Damn it.

"Who better? I'm the closest thing to a familiar face you've got, and I'm pretty good with people, if I do say so myself," Tony offers with a modest smile.

"I've got a department full of people who are better qualified than a reality TV star with a degree in engineering who dabbles in studying the past," Fury points out. "You do realize that filming it is absolutely out of the question?"

Tony bristles. As perceptive as Fury might be, clearly, he really, really doesn't get Tony. Tony wants to shake him by the shoulders and shout, but he manages to restrain that urge and just kicks back his chair and stands up angrily, his palms pressed against the desk. "You think that's what this is about? I don't _want_ to film it! Hell, I wouldn't film it even if you offered! Sure, I'd love to have a few minutes of footage of him to show to my audience, but that's something to think about later, and only if it's okay for him. The man's entitled to his privacy. I respect him, I admire him, and I want to be there because he means a lot to me. I don't want him to wake up so that the first person he sees is some shrink or nurse."

Fury leans back in his chair and actually smiles, just a little. "Well, I'll be damned. Seems like you're not half as heartless as the rumors would have me believe."

Tony backs away from the table, crossing his arms and eyeing Fury suspiciously. He's sure the choice of words isn't accidental. He still hasn't figured out what it is that SHIELD does, but they seem to be incredibly shady and involved in a ton of things. Fury has probably leafed through his medical history.

What he can't decide is whether Fury really misread him earlier, or if he was purposefully rattling Tony's cage, to find out what his real motivation is.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd listen to rumors," Tony says.

"Oh, I listen to everything: rumors, specialists, and the passionate opinions of hotshot adventurers meddling in matters that have nothing to do with their field of expertise," Fury returns. "And you should be glad I do, because in this case, I'm inclined to agree with you."

  


* * *

  

    
    
    INT. A HOSPITAL CORRIDOR
    
    [Tony is standing by a closed door in a generic hospital corridor. His expression is far more serious and thoughtful than usual.]
    
    TONY
    Behind this very door, some of the best doctors in the country are hard at work waking Captain America from his decades-long cryosleep. It's a delicate operation and it might take a while, but if all goes well, I'll be able to greet him soon.
    
    

  


* * *

  


"Mr. Stark? Everything's looking good. It's almost miraculous, really. He's currently asleep, but might wake up any time now," a SHIELD doctor tells him. He's not sure if he's imagining it or if there actually is some disdain in the way woman's looking at him. He's sure Fury's decision to overrule the expert opinions, going with Tony's offer instead, raised quite a few objections.

"That's great news," Tony replies, giving her a relieved smile. "So, when can I see him?"

"I'll take you to him right away," the doctor promises.

She leads him through two pairs of doors, with an airlock-style setup, but doesn't ask him to change clothes or any such; clearly they're not following any advanced quarantine protocol. At the end of their brief walk is a large hospital room with a single bed. It's not the fake forties set-up that SHIELD had been planning on, but there aren't any features to make it look particularly modern, either. No TV or computer screens to be seen. Clearly, the medics are entirely convinced Cap is physically stable, going by the lack of oxygen, IVs or any monitoring equipment.

As he steps closer to the bed and his eyes land on Cap, Tony forgets any thoughts about the surroundings, because he simply can't look away again. He's seen pictures before, so he knew to expect that the man would be handsome, but—holy shit, Cap must be the most beautiful thing Tony's ever seen. He's perfect. The long, dark lashes against his pale skin, the gorgeous cheekbones, just—damn.

Tony's breathing the same air with Captain America. Captain America is alive, he's right there, close enough to touch, and he's goddamn gorgeous.

Tony thought he was ready for this. He really isn't.

He slumps on the chair next to Cap's bed, feeling a bit light-headed, like he should maybe check the VAD stats to make sure it's working properly.

"Like I said, he'll wake up when he wakes up. It might take a while," the doctor says, startling Tony, because he'd utterly forgotten there was a third person in the room. "Here's your safety button," she says, handing him a small device that's literally just one button on a plastic base. "Don't hesitate to press it at the slightest sign of violent behavior. For medical emergencies, use the call button by the bed instead."

"Sure," Tony manages to say. "Thanks."

She leaves the room, and then it's just Tony and Cap, and it doesn't feel real. He's almost afraid to move, because it might break this illusion.

He tries to focus and pull himself together. For starters, he needs to stop thinking of the guy as Cap. That's a role, a stage persona. He may be peak human, but he's still flesh and blood, a person like any other. Not Captain America, but Steve Rogers.

Tony's been thinking a lot about what he should say to Rogers and how he's going to break the news about what's happened. Of course, he can't predict what state of mind Rogers will wake up in, so mostly he'll need to ad-lib anyway. Luckily, he's used to working without a script.

As he waits, doing his best not to stare at Rogers's perfect features like some creeper, his mind wanders to the worst case scenarios. No one knows what the decades under the ice have done to Rogers. He might wake up with brain damage, his body intact but not much left of the sharp mind that his contemporaries described. He might also come around thinking he's still in the middle of some fight, or has been captured by his enemies. If that happens, he could attack Tony—in which case Tony will back away, press that button and signal his surrender as clearly as possible. He's well aware he'd be no match to Captain America in a fist fight.

Luckily, when Rogers eventually comes around, it's not a worst case scenario. On the contrary, it's so gradual and undramatic, Tony almost misses it.

Rogers draws in a sharp breath and blinks, those long lashes fluttering, and slowly opens his stunning blue eyes.

Tony totally is staring now—how could he not? He doesn't do anything else, yet, just waits, letting Rogers take his time, twiddling with the safety button. His palms are all sweaty. He was probably less nervous when he was descending that icy shaft into the _Valkyrie_.

After a brief moment of frowning at the ceiling, Rogers looks around. Of course, there isn't much to see in the mostly featureless gray and white room, so his gaze soon lands on Tony. His brows furrow again.

"Where am I? Who're you?" Rogers asks, his voice a little hoarse. "You look familiar."

Straight to business, then. Damn. Tony had hoped he could stall at least for a short while, do some small talk, ease into this, but if he evades the questions, that'll give exactly the sort of secretive impression he wants to avoid.

"My name's Tony Stark," he replies, keeping his face carefully neutral. "You're probably thinking about my dad."

Rogers sits up, his legs over the side of the bed, glowering at Tony like he's getting ready for a fight. Tony's fingers clench around the button, but he's not going to press it until he absolutely has to.

"Howard? He doesn't have kids. Certainly not kids who look older than him. Try again," Rogers growls.

"I'm telling you the truth," Tony says, staying very still, trying to appear as unthreatening as he can. "Howard had a kid, some thirty years after you knew him. Then he went missing, just like you had, decades earlier."

Rogers's expression shifts a little, growing more wary and confused. "Thirty years? Decades? You're not making any sense."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Tony asks.

"I was on the _Valkyrie_ , it was headed towards America, and I had to stop it. I took it towards the north, crashed among the ice, and…" he trails off, his face falling. "Oh God, Peggy. Is she okay? Where is she?" Rogers slides off the bed and stands up, eyeing the door as if he expects her to be waiting behind it.

That's another thing Tony was hoping wouldn't come up quite so soon. He knows exactly which Peggy it is that Rogers is talking about: Peggy Carter, who was also good friends with Tony's dad, and was like a close relative to Tony, even more so after Howard went missing. 'Okay' isn't quite how Tony would describe her now.

Tony takes a deep breath. Time to spell the situation out in plain words. "When you crashed that plane, it was buried in ice, and you with it. You've been asleep for almost seventy years. You're in the future, Rogers. Peggy is, well, she's very old. She's got good days and bad days. I know she's missed you."

Rogers turns to face Tony, actually raising his fists now. It's amazing how threatening he can look while wearing a hospital gown. "No. You're lying. This is some kind of trick."

Tony should probably hit that panic button now. He does the opposite instead.

"I promise you, it's not," he insists. "See, I was the person who found the _Valkyrie_ and you inside it, but the people who brought you home and woke you up are from an organization called SHIELD. This is their facility. I don't work for them, though. Honestly, I think they're kind of shifty."

Rogers is looking mildly puzzled, but holds his hostile stance. "Why're you telling me this?"

"They gave me this," Tony goes on, stands up, and slowly holds out his hand with the button on his palm. "Because they were worried you might get suspicious and take it out on me. I push the button, and a group of armed guards will rush in to restrain you. Here. You take it."

Rogers frowns at the device, as if he expects it to blow up. "Why?" he repeats.

"I want to show you that I trust you. You're Captain America, I know you're one of the good guys," Tony says, unwavering. "And you can trust me."

"Will you put it on the table over there, instead?" Rogers asks, nodding at the bedside nightstand. It's about the same distance from both of them.

He has to give it to Rogers, that's pretty quick thinking from someone who's fresh out of hibernation. If the button were something that might explode in his face, this way, he'll avoid that, while simultaneously getting it out of Tony's hands.

"Sure, why not," Tony says, and carefully sets the little device on the table. "There." He spreads his arms, empty palms facing outwards. "You want to punch me in the face and make a run for it, you go right ahead. I'm defenseless. This isn't a ploy of any kind."

Of course, at that exact moment, Tony's phone starts buzzing in his pocket. He's turned the sound off, but just the vibrating alert is all too loud.

Rogers's eyes turn towards the sound, his fists clenching even tighter. "What's that?"

"Just my telephone," Tony explains, trying not to wince at the incredibly unfortunate timing. He keeps one hand in the air and slowly digs out the phone with the other. The screen shows an undisclosed number, but Tony can guess who it is. "I need to answer this."

Rogers nods curtly.

Tony picks up the call, and before he gets a word out, Fury's voice rings in his ear. "Stark, what the hell are you doing?"

Of course they're following the situation over their surveillance cameras. Tony should've expected that.

"Whatever I need to, to show him I'm not a threat. Don't worry, I'm not gonna sue you for damages if he beats me up. And he won't. I know he won't," Tony says, looking Rogers in the eye.

Rogers stares back at him, unblinking and defiant. The intensity of it is incredibly distracting. Just that look is enough to say that this man would be the fiercest of enemies and the most loyal of friends. The sort of person you'd trust with your life, without hesitation.

Suddenly, Tony knows exactly what he needs to do.

Not bothering to even listen to Fury's reply, Tony hangs up and holds out his hand, the phone resting on his palm. "Okay, now that's dealt with, I'll just put this over there, too," he tilts his head towards the nightstand. Rogers doesn't stop him as he places the phone next to the safety button.

"Might as well do this properly," Tony adds, and slowly, cautiously, starts going through all his pockets. He empties them one item at a time, naming each as he goes: wallet, car keys, multi-tool. Finally, only one thing remains.

Tony swallows and reaches for the breast pocket of his khaki shirt. His hand is shaking ever so slightly. Rogers must notice that, because he's been starting to relax, but now seems to tense up again.

Tony lifts the primary VAD control unit out of his pocket and holds it out for Rogers to see.

"Another telephone?" Rogers asks.

It's not a bad guess. The numbers on the screen—battery status, pump RPM and flow rate—won't mean anything to Steve, and the small device does look very similar to Tony's phone. In fact, his phone functions as a backup controller; he always has at least one of the two on his person. Except now he won't.

"No. This is me showing you just how much I trust you. This gadget here controls a device that supports my heart, which is so weak it's not much use on its own. Turn that off and I'll soon feel too faint to stay on my feet."

Of course, Rogers couldn't just instantly turn it off if he wanted to. The screen won't even unlock without Tony's thumbprint, and the off-switch is behind several additional safeguards. Still, this feels monumental to Tony. He isn't worried about Rogers doing anything to harm him, hasn't been at any point, but he's very anxious to see how Rogers will react to this. Will there be horror or pity? Or just continued disbelief and suspicion?

Tony avoids looking at Rogers until he's placed the control unit on the nightstand, next to his phone. When he does look again, Rogers's eyes have grown wide, and he's let his hands drop to his sides.

"Well, that's it. All my cards laid out on the table. You can search me if you want to, I'm at your mercy," Tony says, spreading his arms again. The situation is so tense, it doesn't even sound flirty, even though he definitely wouldn't mind if Rogers decided to frisk him.

Rogers glances at the items on the nightstand, then back at Tony. "That device—is that kind of thing common in the future?"

"It's not. It's a last resort. I was unlucky enough to need it, and lucky enough to have access to the tech. A lot of the design is my own," Tony summarizes.

More than horrified or pitying, Rogers seems awed. "I think I can hear it." 

Peak human senses. Tony should've expected that. "That's pretty impressive, I can only just spot the hum myself if I'm in a very quiet room."

"You really are telling the truth, aren't you," Rogers says, his eyes even wider.

"Yes," Tony says. "I've been telling you nothing but the truth since you woke up."

"You don't even know me, but you'd place your life in my hands to win my trust," Rogers murmurs. Now that he's no longer on the defensive and seems to be slowly starting to believe everything Tony's been telling, he suddenly looks a lot younger, lost and confused.

"I've heard a lot about you, and I'd like to know you," Tony offers, going for the warmest tone he can find, accompanied by an encouraging smile. "My dad was your friend. I'd be honored if I could also be one."

"Well, if I really am in the future, Mr. Stark," Rogers says, still sounding overwhelmed, "I'm sure I'll need all the friends I can find." He offers his hand to Tony.

Tony takes the hand and gives it a firm shake. "Please, call me Tony."

"And you should call me Steve. Pleased to meet you."

Steve smiles at him, the first smile Tony's seen on his face outside of old photos, and it's so stunning, it makes him feel weak in the knees as surely as hitting that off-switch would.

  


* * *

  


"So, how did it go?" Pepper asks curiously as soon as Tony sits down opposite her in the SHIELD cafeteria.

He replies with his flashiest grin. "I think it went pretty well, if I do say so myself."

The SHIELD staff had allowed him to stay and chat with Steve for over an hour until they'd finally stepped in, insisting that they needed to run some tests, now that Steve was awake and more or less convinced he wasn't a prisoner. He hadn't seemed too excited about that, but he hadn't resisted, either.

On his way out, Tony promised to return tomorrow, and he is determined to do so, even if he'll have to twist Fury's arm again to get the permission.

"Uh oh." Pepper makes a mock alarmed expression. "You've got it bad, haven't you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Tony bites his lip. "You can't blame me, though. I don't care what else was in the _Valkyrie_ , I'm convinced he's the most dangerous thing that plane was carrying. Needs to come with a warning label. Hazardous to your health, highly addictive."

He's not going to tell her about that bit where he almost literally offered Steve his heart, just because it felt like the best course of action at the time. That was ridiculous and stupid, and what the hell was he thinking?

He can easily imagine how inspiring Steve must've been during the war, wearing his full Captain America regalia. Definitely the sort of charismatic figure men would follow into battle without hesitation. Or into his bed.

Yeah, Tony's got it so bad. Never mind that Steve is probably straighter than a flagpole set up using a precision level, and all he can expect is endless pining and frustration.

Thankfully, Pepper doesn't continue teasing him, but goes for the professional question next. "So, when can we film him?"

"I didn't get to that yet," Tony admits.

"But you talked with him for ages!" Pepper complains.

"I needed to gain his trust, plus he's missing decades of history, that's a lot to catch up on," Tony says defensively. "I'll ask him the next time I see him. I need to get this right."

  


* * *

  


When Tony returns to pay Steve another visit the following day, he learns they've moved him from the hospital room to more comfortable quarters. The room is still ascetic and not too big: a single bed, a couple of chairs and a desk with a computer on it, currently turned off. It doesn't seem like much for Captain America. If Tony got to decide, he'd accommodate Steve in the biggest, most luxurious place he could find.

Before entering the room, Tony was slightly worried that he'd feel awkward around Steve, considering that he's spent the past day completely preoccupied thinking about Steve's brilliant smile and beautiful blue eyes. And boy, does he ever. It's even worse than he feared; someone's decided to provide Steve with the tightest-fitting t-shirt imaginable, and every time he moves, Tony can see the muscles shift beneath it. This is just unfair.

He's rarely been this glad he's got lots of practice keeping a cool face in front of an audience. He offers Steve a casual smile. "They been treating you all right?"

"Can't complain," Steve says, with a shrug. "I've got my own room, the food is nice, and I have access to all the information about the modern world that I can ask for. They even let me outside for a walk yesterday, and a run this morning." He doesn't seem overjoyed about any of it, but then, he's only settling in after having his life turned upside down.

"I'm happy to hear that. In case you do find something to complain about, though, let me know, and I'll see if I can do something about it," Tony offers.

"That's very kind of you, but really, all this," Steve motions at the room around them, "is more than what I'm used to."

They spend a while talking about the contrasts between the past and the present, and about SHIELD; Steve doesn't quite know what it is that they do, either, but apparently, Fury's said they might have work for him as some kind of field operative. If he wants to. He's not sure if he does.

Tony's keeps trying to figure out the best way to work the question he needs to ask into the conversation. He's worried he'll give the impression that he's just trying to be friends with Steve because he wants Steve in his show, when nothing could be further from the truth.

In the end, it's Steve who accidentally steers the topic in the right direction. "You never actually said what you do for a living," he points out. "But I guess if you go around designing hearts, you must be some kind of genius inventor, like Howard?"

"Some of the time," Tony says modestly. "Most of the time, I travel the world solving historical mysteries to make a television program." 

"And that's how you found me," Steve fills in. Does he look a little disappointed, or is Tony just projecting?

"Yes. It wasn't because I was looking for some sensational story. I definitely didn't expect you to be alive," Tony explains, his tone veering towards defensive. "I always wanted to come look for the _Valkyrie_. Dad spent a lot of time on the search, and I felt like I should finish what he started."

"Well, I'm glad you did. I'd still be in the ice if you hadn't," Steve says, with one of those breathtaking smiles.

"I'm glad I did, too." Tony smiles back at Steve.

Their eyes meet, and for a moment, he can't help wondering if maybe Steve likes him, too. Just a little. But nah, that's wishful thinking. Steve is a nice guy and Tony's managed to make a good impression on him, that's all. Tony's incredibly worried he's going to lose it with a few badly chosen words, but he needs to ask the question. It won't be any better if he waits another day or two; then Steve will just think Tony has been leading him on for that much longer. Now is as good a time as any.

"Speaking of my show—is there any chance I could talk you into making an appearance? Maybe a short interview? You can obviously say no, I won't mind. I promise I won't ask again."

"Sure, I can do it," Steve says, without taking two seconds to think about it.

"Steve, I'm not sure you understand how big the television industry is these days. Most of my episodes have over a million viewers. You shouldn't do it just because you feel obligated," Tony says. He wants this to be a properly informed decision on Steve's part. "If you'd rather keep a low profile, go on with your life and not be in the public eye, we can build the episode around the discovery of the _Valkyrie_ itself, or—"

"I said I'd do it, Tony," Steve repeats, with the first hint of annoyance Tony's seen today. "I spent my entire career as Captain America posing for cameras. I don't mind doing a bit more of that."

  


* * *

  

    
    
    INT. STEVE ROGERS'S ROOM
    
    [Tony and STEVE ROGERS are in a small, sparsely furnished room. In the background, Captain America's shield rests against the wall. Tony is shaking Steve's hand, beaming.]
    
    TONY
    Never in my wildest dreams did I think this day would come. Here I am, actually face to face with Captain America. This is such a privilege.
    
    [Rogers appears slightly amused at Tony's enthusiasm; his smile is more restrained.]
    
    STEVE
    I understand my secret identity has long since become public knowledge, so please, just call me Steve.
    
    TONY
    Of course. And I'd be honored if you called me Tony.
    
    STEVE
    Sure thing.
    
    TONY
    So, Steve. This must all be very confusing to you.
    
    STEVE
    That's putting it mildly. But I have to say, the future isn't all bad. I'm starting to get used to it.
    
    TONY
    Good to hear. Now, I know you'd probably prefer not dwelling on the past, but if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you one thing about it.
    
    STEVE
    Go ahead.
    
    TONY
    As you may have heard, the disappearance of the Valkyrie has been a mystery that has long intrigued World War II historians. Can you tell us what happened?
    
    STEVE
    Of course. Me and my team of brave soldiers, the Howling Commandos, were after an infamous Nazi scientist known as Red Skull.
    
    TONY
    There are some hair-raising stories going around about him.
    
    STEVE
    Most of them probably true. He was planning on using the Valkyrie and the nuclear weapons in it to strike a devastating blow against America. I had to stop him. With the help of my team, I hitched a ride on the plane. I eventually managed to defeat the enemy, but the plane was still headed towards New York.
    
    TONY
    That was the target? God. Some people have been speculating that it was meant to hit something major, but that's even worse than I thought.
    
    STEVE
    Yes. I had to stop it, at any cost. I did the only thing I could and changed course, crashing it into the Arctic. That's the last thing I remember before waking up here.
    
    TONY
    You were prepared to sacrifice your life for the greater good. That's the kind of true heroism Captain America has always symbolized. I'm sure I'm speaking on behalf of everyone in this country as I thank you for what you did.
    
    [Steve looks towards the audience, raising his chin in a heroic pose.]
    
    STEVE
    I was only doing my duty, as I'm sure every truly patriotic citizen would've done in the same situation.
    
    

  


* * *

  


It takes a lot of self-control not to break out laughing at Steve's completely unexpected and unexpectedly perfect closing line, because holy shit, that really is something. It's like he's stepped out of a recruitment film—the only detail that's not quite right are his clothes, a plain blue dress shirt instead of his costume. Of course, recruitment films are a thing Steve's actually done, so he knows how to pull off that sort of thing. Still, there's something so incredibly honest about it. He's not speaking like an actor who's rehearsed it; he says it like he believes it with every fiber of his being. It's ridiculous and it's amazing.

Tony's not entirely sure what the look on his own face actually is, but it seems to catch Steve's attention. "Was that not okay?" he asks.

"Oh, it was more than okay, it was perfect," Tony says quickly. "Right, Pepper?"

Pepper grins and gives them the thumbs-up. "Yes, it was great."

"I think we've got all we need, now," Tony says, raising his eyebrows at Pepper in question.

"I'd say we do," she agrees. "Thank you, Steve."

Tony turns to look at Steve again. "Yes. Thank you so much. I know that wasn't easy. Sorry you had to relive all of it once more."

"It's fine. It sort of feels like it's helping me put some distance between what happened back then," Steve says. Tony's not sure he's buying it, but he's glad Steve's not too shaken by having to face the memories again.

"Anyway, now that that's done, how about I buy you dinner to make up for it? You must be growing tired of what they feed you here," Tony suggests. It's not a spur of the moment idea, but something he's been thinking about since the previous day. It's probably stupid; he knows there won't ever be anything more than friendship between them. Still, he can't help wanting to spend more time with Steve while he has the chance. 

Steve purses his lips. "Sounds nice, but I'm still not supposed to leave the facility unaccompanied."

"You won't be unaccompanied, I'll be there with you," Tony says brightly. "And maybe the lovely Miss Potts would also like to join us?"

Pepper shakes her head. "Thanks for the offer, but I've already promised to go out with Happy tonight."

"Your loss," Tony tells her. "So, Steve. Dinner? We could go for some modern cuisine that will blow your mind, or something really classic that'll make you forget you're in the 21st century."

"Okay, as long as it's nothing too fancy," Steve says. "How are you planning on sneaking me out of here?"

"Who said anything about sneaking? That's generally not my style. Watch and learn," Tony says, grabs his phone, and calls the number he's got for Fury.

"What is it, Stark?" comes the quick reply.

"I'm going to take Rogers out for a bit. You've had him cooped up in here for long enough. I promise to bring him back before bedtime. That okay with you?"

Tony thinks he can hear a sigh at the other end of the line. "As long as you don't pull any stupid stunts."

"When do I ever? Thanks, dad," Tony says, and ends the call. "See? Easy! Let's go!"

Steve said nothing too fancy, and Tony's not sure he'd appreciate some elaborate fine dining experience anyway, so he picks a nice and cozy Italian place that's close enough to walk to.

They get the usual amount of random passers-by gaping at Tony, a couple of them waving at him or shouting after him. He's not exactly an A-list celebrity, but as a side-effect of also being a highly successful businessman, he's better known than the average reality TV star.

"It's weird not being the one they're all looking at," Steve comments. "I almost got used to it when I was wearing the costume."

"Well, once the episode we've filmed comes out, you can expect to be gawked at again," Tony reminds him. "Unless you want to bow out. You can still do that, you know. If you get second thoughts, just say the word."

"It's fine," Steve says. "I've made up my mind. I want to go back to being Captain America, so I might as well do it openly."

It crosses Tony's mind that some paparazzi might catch the two of them on film, but he doesn't expect that to cause any trouble. The way they're dressed, smart casual after shooting that scene, this might well be an informal business meeting.

Tony forgets any lingering thoughts about the flipside of publicity once they reach the restaurant. They get the table at the nice little cabinet at the back, with plenty of peace and quiet, and they have a very good meal and a couple of glasses of wine. Tony has to keep reminding himself this isn't a date; several times, he almost slips into full-on flirting.

It's not a date. Captain America is definitely not interested in him in that way, no matter how charming the smiles he directs at Tony. And because it's not a date, instead of taking Steve to his mansion at the end of the evening, Tony walks him back to the SHIELD facility, and promises to visit again soon.

  


* * *

  


The next morning, Tony wakes up in a fine mood. It lasts exactly until he's sat down with his first cup of coffee and the morning news. There's a notification for new entries in the feed he's set up to keep track of any items about himself. Most of the time he ignores them, but today, just the fact that there's anything there gives him a vaguely foreboding feeling.

He opens the feed, and the first headline that comes up is "Tony Stark spotted with new beau". It's followed by two more gossip site stories in the same vein.

Shit.

Tony buries his face in his hands. Here he was, foolishly trusting that his dinner date which wasn't a date would somehow pass under the radar. No such luck.

He knew it was dumb and kind of selfish to want to go out with Steve when there is zero chance of Steve sharing his feelings, but he just had to do it anyway, and now he's ruined everything.

It's not just that he's messed up the budding friendship he had with Steve. He's also tarnished Captain America's reputation—when the news of Cap's return to life becomes public, some online sleuth will inevitably realize the resemblance between him and Tony's alleged date. Considering the public impression of Tony as an irresponsible and inconsiderate playboy, he's prepared to bet that even the people who are generally happy about LGBT visibility won't react positively to him going out with Cap. They'll probably think Tony's taking advantage of him. They wouldn't even be entirely wrong. Sure, Tony's public image is based on things he did in the past and that he thought he'd left behind, but has his behavior in this been any better?

He feels sick. He's been dealing with the jackals of the gossip press for most of his life—how could he be so careless? How could he do this to Steve?

It's far too late to try and fix this: he can make an official statement that it wasn't a date, but that won't stop the rumors when they're already out there. The only thing he can do is to explain the situation to Steve before he learns of it from someone else and apologize to him, for what little good that will do.

Tony's crew is going to start working on the post-production of the episode today. He always wants to be involved in that part of the process as well, being both presenter and producer of his show. He quickly calls the office, leaves them a message to tell them he won't be there until midday, and rushes to the garage. As he drives towards the SHIELD facility, he contacts Fury to say that he needs to meet Steve right away and that it's urgent. Fury, probably picking up on his obviously upset tone, doesn't protest. Or maybe he's already seen the news—he has admitted he does keep an eye on rumors, after all.

Every time Tony's visited Steve, he's felt nervous, but before today, it's always been a good sort of nervous. Like the excitement before diving some unexplored wreck, or the butterflies in the stomach of a teenager facing his crush. This time is different. This time, he feels like he's walking to the gallows.

Steve's hair looks shower-damp as he opens the door, and his smile is welcoming and friendly. It just makes everything worse. Maybe Tony should just not say anything. Maybe Steve won't find out, and the online gossip will fade away if he doesn't make further public appearances with Steve—but no, he can't do that. It's all too likely that the SHIELD staff will start whispering about this, and Steve shouldn't have to find out like that.

"What brings you here so early?" Steve asks. "I don't usually get unscheduled visitors."

"I messed up, Steve. I'm here to say I'm sorry," Tony begins. There's no easy way to do this. "We talked about the drawbacks of fame yesterday."

Steve's smile turns into a thin line. No doubt he can guess from Tony's expression that this is bad. "Yes?"

"I should've been more careful and I shouldn't have taken you out to dinner," Tony says.

"Why not? I had a good time, I'm glad you did," Steve says.

"It was still a misjudgement on my part. Here." Going for showing rather than telling, he offers Steve his tablet, with the first gossip story open on the screen.

Steve frowns at it and reads aloud. "Tony Stark, the businessman-inventor-turned-reality TV star, has a reputation for holding a lovely lady on one arm and a handsome hunk on the other. Last night, he was seen exiting a restaurant with a new date. The identity of this blonde adonis is still a mystery," Steve trails off, and looks up at Tony again. "They think we were out on a date?"

_Tony_ wanted to think they were out on a date. He can't blame the journalist who came up with the story. The paparazzi shot attached to the text shows them leaving the restaurant walking very close to one another, and the smile Tony's aimed at Steve is a tad too warm for what one would expect to see between business colleagues.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry about that. I've got this reputation. It's not entirely undeserved," Tony admits, his voice coming through slightly raspy with the way his throat's grown tight.

"But—I don't understand. The two of us, a couple?" Steve says, his face full of confusion, disbelief, and Tony's pretty sure there's some disgust there, too.

It's too much; it feels like he can't breathe, or like the VAD has seized up. He can't look at Steve. He can't be here anymore. He's still standing right next to the door, and he reaches for the handle. "See why I said it was a mistake? I'll be going now. I promise I'll leave you alone from here on out."

"Tony, wait," Steve says, but Tony doesn't want to hear what he has to say, because it can't be anything good.

He hurries out of the room. Thankfully, Steve doesn't try to follow or to shout after him. He's probably just glad that Tony's gone.

  


* * *

  


He doesn't visit Steve again. Unsurprisingly, Steve doesn't contact him, either. The tablet that he forgot in Steve's room in his hurry to leave is returned to him through a courier service without as much as a note.

Tony tries to distract himself with putting together the episode, involving himself in every detail to the point where he's sure his crew is starting to grow annoyed of his micromanaging. It doesn't help. He can't stop thinking about Steve, because the episode really is all about Steve. Even if they don't use the footage of him and focus on the _Valkyrie_ instead, Tony's constantly reminded of descending into the plane and finding Steve there, and everything that followed.

This was supposed to be his crowning achievement, his greatest triumph, the most important adventure he'd ever embarked on. Now, it tastes like ashes in his mouth.

The worst thing is, it just isn't coming together the way it should be. They have endless meetings about how to construct the episode, and they try multiple different approaches, but it constantly feels like something is lacking.

"It's not just me, is it?" Tony asks aloud at the end of another frustrating day. "This is missing something."

"It's not just you," Virgil, the film editor replies. He looks about as weary as Tony feels.

"The ending doesn't work," Pepper says thoughtfully.

"Yeah, that's what it boils down to," Virgil agrees. "The buildup is great, but if we go with the _Valkyrie_ , the payoff isn't there. If we use Cap's speech, it feels abrupt, and I'll be honest with you, Tony, none of those closing voice overs you've recorded hit the right note."

Tony sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Yeah, you're probably right." He did those after the mess with Steve, and it turns out all his experience isn't enough to cover for how horrible he feels. Even reading lines that someone else wrote for him, he can't evoke the sort of victorious mood that the episode calls for.

"If you ask me, the best solution would be to film an additional scene or two," Pepper suggests. "A few more minutes could do the trick."

"We'd need access to the _Valkyrie_ ," Tony says, shaking his head. "As nice as it would be to do another excursion to the Arctic, I'm not optimistic about getting that." He doesn't think he's in Fury's good graces anymore. He was useful to Fury when he was helping Steve settle into the 21st century, but then he went and did the opposite.

"I still think it's better if we go with Cap. The _Valkyrie_ is pretty exciting, but Captain America is something else. He'd bring in so many viewers, I bet you'd surpass all your previous ratings," Virgil says, because he has no clue about what happened.

Pepper does know, of course—there aren't many things Tony doesn't share with her. She gives him a sympathetic look, but still says, "He's right, you know. It could make a huge difference."

"I don't think that'll be possible," Tony says tersely.

The others seem to take the hint and don't push it, but once everyone else has headed home, Pepper lingers behind and picks up the matter again.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask him, Tony, would it?"

"Funny you should say that. It actually would hurt." Tony barely manages to suppress the urge to rub at the scars on his chest. He can't think of many things more painful than talking to Steve again.

"Still," Pepper insists. "The least you could do is to find out if he's willing to meet with you."

"I doubt it."

"You can't know for sure until you ask."

"I'm not even sure he's okay with us using the footage we've already got," Tony confesses. It's one of the many things that are weighing on his conscience.

Steve did agree to filming the interview for the episode, but Tony suspects his opinion about the whole thing may have changed since. Of course, he could've let Tony know about that through Fury, and he hasn't. Then again, he's such a good guy with such high moral principles, he probably won't take back his word once he's given it, no matter how much he'd like to.

Pepper raises her eyebrows, incredulous. "Really? If that's the case, you seriously need to talk to him right away. We can't waste time on material we're not allowed to use, that's wrong in so many ways, not to mention unfair to everyone working on this! If you're not sure about it, you should've contacted him a lot earlier! You need to sort this out before we get back to it tomorrow." She points an accusing finger at him.

"Pep, I—" Tony begins, but she doesn't let him go on.

"No. I know it's difficult. That's no excuse," she says relentlessly. "You've faced active volcanoes, crossed impenetrable jungles and dived the deepest ocean trenches any person has ever been in. You can handle one difficult conversation."

She's right, of course. He should've dealt with this weeks ago, but he just couldn't. He can't put it off any longer, no matter how much it hurts.

"I'll try," he promises.

  


* * *

  


Since Tony doesn't have any contact details for Steve, he calls Fury first. It turns out SHIELD has provided Steve with all the modern communication methods by now. Fury hands him a phone number and an email address, and declares that since Steve's not under any special supervision anymore, the two of them can sort out their issues themselves.

That isn't entirely bad. It means Tony might not have to actually meet Steve after all.

He spends an embarrassing amount of time writing a very simple, very polite and thoroughly impersonal email asking Steve whether he's still okay with the footage being used in Tony's show, and if there's any chance he could consider filming some more.

Steve's answer arrives within an hour, and is the exact opposite of what Tony was hoping for: an equally neutral and short "Yes, but I would like to talk to you first". Tony would've preferred a simple "no". Now, he's left with little choice but to meet with Steve one last time, because clearly, he's not getting out of this without a telling-off from Cap. 

The very same evening, Tony finds himself at Steve's door again. He's trying to gather the courage to actually knock on it when Steve opens it, giving him a slight frown as a greeting.

"Have you been standing there for long?" Steve asks.

"No, no, I just got here," Tony lies, looking past Steve's face, because the doorframe suddenly seems very interesting.

He's not ready for this. He should've waited longer. Never mind that he doesn't have a script; he hasn't got the slightest clue of what he's going to say. Somehow, he feels simultaneously panicked and oddly detached from the situation.

"Well, come in." Steve gestures at his room.

Moving as stiffly as he would in the exosuit, Tony stumbles over the threshold. Steve pulls up a chair, and he drops down in it, thankful to get off his feet.

He can't help but think back to that day when he was waiting for Steve to wake up from his seventy-year slumber, and how far they've come from that, from how he first gained Steve's trust. He could never have imagined that this would be how it'd end—with him utterly failing to live up to that trust.

Steve sits down next to Tony and glances at him inquiringly, obviously waiting for him to speak up.

Tony tries to come up with something to say, but nothing comes to mind. He didn't want to be here in the first place. This was Steve's idea.

"So, you wanted to film some more with me?" Steve finally speaks up, when Tony doesn't.

"Yes," Tony replies. At least it's an easy question. "We need some kind of a closing shot. Assuming you're still okay with us using what we've already done."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Steve asks. He doesn't seem angry. Mostly, he just seems puzzled. "I'm surprised you still want to use it."

"Huh? Why would you say that?" Tony frowns, just as confused as Steve looks. Sure, he feels conflicted about using the footage, because he has all these feelings for Steve and it's tearing him apart, but it's not as if Steve knows that.

"Considering how appalled you were at the idea that someone thought we're dating? Clearly you don't like me very much," Steve says, like it's something perfectly obvious.

"I—what?" That's so far from what Tony expected to hear and so utterly wrong he doesn't even know where to begin. "Let me get this straight. You think _I_ wasn't okay with that gossip story, and you were fine with it yourself? Because that wasn't the impression I got!"

"I was surprised! You can hardly blame me for that," Steve says defensively. "They were writing about two men going out together like it was something that happens all the time—I never thought that'd be possible! I was amazed and thrilled to see it."

"Oh," Tony breathes, struggling to wrap his mind around what Steve's saying.

"You wouldn't let me explain. Before I could get a word out, you'd already left," Steve adds. "First I thought you were outraged that someone was spreading slanderous lies about us, but I read up on things afterwards. Found out that two men going out on a date definitely isn't such a big deal these days, and that dating men hasn't been a problem for you in the past."

"It isn't," Tony says in a small voice.

"Then I thought, maybe you were worried I'd be outraged, instead, because I didn't know how things had changed," Steve goes on, "but if that had been the case, if you'd been my friend and worried about how I'd handle these stories the press is spreading, surely you would've contacted me again, and you didn't."

"I did think you'd be outraged." By now, Tony's wishing he could just vanish into thin air. He stares intently at the floor.

"The only explanation I could come up with was that I'd done something wrong, that you were somehow mad at me, or that maybe you hadn't liked me very much in the first place. Maybe you were just pretending to be friends to get me into your show."

Tony's been a complete idiot. He's made Steve feel bad when there was no reason that he should. "I thought you'd be disgusted, and I expected you to blame me," he mutters towards his shoes. "If I'd been more careful, none of this would've happened. I was sure you wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore."

"Of course I didn't blame you! It's not like you can control what the journalists write. Although I was disappointed when you didn't contact me, and couldn't stop wondering what it was that I'd done. I really enjoyed spending time with you, Tony," Steve finishes. There's such longing in his voice, Tony has to look and see if it's on his face, too, and it is. There's no mistaking it.

Steve is perfectly okay with the implication that they've been on a date. Steve has missed him.

Steve likes him.

Everything has turned upside down in the best way imaginable. To think that Tony's wasted weeks wallowing in self-pity, and almost didn't even come here today.

"You didn't do anything. It was all me. And I really, really liked spending time with you, too," he says. The words seem kind of lackluster considering the depth of his feelings, but maybe some of it carries through in the intensity of his tone. "Steve, I'm sorry. I just thought—"

Steve smiles, a little ruefully, but still. "You thought a fella from the forties couldn't possibly be okay with the concept of gay relationships."

"Not just any fella. Captain America," Tony clarifies.

"Captain America is still human, you know. A human who was struggling because he was fascinated by this genius adventurer, and thought that could never go anywhere," Slowly, cautiously, his eyes fixed on Tony's, Steve places his hand on Tony's knee. It's a big, warm hand, and just the simple touch is enough to send shivers down his spine.

To think of the things they could do—but he's getting way ahead of himself.

Tony puts his hand on top of Steve's and leans closer towards him. "So, you're saying that you wouldn't be opposed to it if we ended up on the gossip pages again? You know it will raise some eyebrows once they figure out who you are."

"I don't care about the opinions of bullies and bigots. I would definitely not mind being Tony Stark's new beau," Steve announces, with all the conviction that he had when delivering his line about patriotic duty earlier.

This time, Tony doesn't try to hold back his laughter; he chuckles aloud, puts his free hand behind Steve's neck, and pulls him into a kiss.

Steve kisses him back like he's not quite sure what he's doing, but is dead set on giving it everything he's got, anyway. It's an odd combination of chaste and intense; Steve's fingers are tangled in Tony's hair, his hold so tight it's almost uncomfortable, and yet when it comes to the kiss, it's just their lips touching. Tony holds back the urge to add some tongue, because maybe it's too early, Steve clearly isn't very experienced, and he doesn't want to make Steve uncomfortable.

When they finally let go, both of them breathless, their eyes still locked, Tony asks, "So, would you maybe like to go out to dinner with me tonight?"

"Only if it's actually a date," Steve says, and never mind all the adventures Tony's had and all the amazing places he's visited; Steve's grin right there and then is the most incredible thing he's ever seen.

  


* * *

  

    
    
    EXT. ICY PLAIN NEXT TO THE VALKYRIE - DAY
    
    [Tony and Steve are standing next to the Valkyrie, which has been excavated from its icy grave and brought up to the surface. Both men are dressed in thick polar clothing, Steve's reflecting the red, blue and white color scheme of Captain America's costume, Tony's the red and gold of his Iron Man suits.]
    
    TONY
    It must feel strange for you to stand here looking at it.
    
    STEVE
    It sure does. I didn't think I'd ever see the Valkyrie again. Then again, I didn't think I'd ever wake up again, either.
    
    TONY
    I'm glad you did.
    
    STEVE
    I wouldn't have if not for you, Tony. I don't think I thanked you for it yet.
    
    TONY
    To be fair, I never thought you'd still be alive—if I'd known, I'd have come a lot sooner!
    
    STEVE
    You've also helped me a lot in getting settled to the 21st century. Thank you for everything you've done for me.
    
    TONY
    You're quite welcome, it's been my pleasure. You've always been a huge inspiration to me. Now, if I may ask, what are your going to do next? Will Captain America return?
    
    STEVE
    Oh, he will, eventually. As long as there is injustice in the world, Captain America will be there to fight it. Before he does, though, I think I need to see more of this modern world, to understand how everything's changed. Maybe travel a bit.
    
    TONY
    That sounds like a very good plan! Say, have you ever been to Peru? I've just started planning an expedition to take another look at the Nazca Lines...
    
    [The two men turn their backs to the Valkyrie and start walking away, their voices fading out as they leave it behind.]
    
    
    

  


* * *

  


As the end credits roll, Fury starts to clap slowly. Going by that and his smirk, it's damned difficult to tell whether he's being sarcastic or genuinely impressed. Maybe a bit of both. The half a dozen SHIELD PR personnel also seated in the conference room join in with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Of course, the most enthusiastic applause of all comes from Steve.

Tony would love to say that Steve's opinion is the only one he cares about, but that wouldn't be entirely true. If he doesn't get SHIELD's approval, his best episode will be doomed to never see the light of day. It's difficult not to be a little anxious.

He looks around, trying to guess what the verdict will be, but it's tricky: these SHIELD types generally don't give away much. He might as well be facing a group of investors considering a business proposal. It's not a very promising response to the first showing, but then, they're hardly a regular test audience.

"Well, what do you think?" Tony asks Fury as soon as the applause has died down.

"I've got to congratulate you, you've done an excellent job editing us out," Fury says. Maybe he's actually impressed, then. "I was thinking I'd at least get a little cameo appearance."

"Well, we can still do that! How about an interview?" Tony offers. "Or maybe you'd like to be the villain? Mysterious man with an eyepatch who shows up to hinder the rescue attempt? That would really ramp up the drama."

"As much as I'd love that, I think my advisors would disapprove of it," Fury returns, deadpan.

"So, how about the current version?" Tony tries again, raising his eyebrows. "Does this one get the official SHIELD stamp of approval?"

Fury stands up from his chair, looking at the people around them. "As far as I'm concerned, that's a definite yes. If anyone else has any issues they'd like to bring up, now is the time."

No one says anything, but there are several nods and mild smiles in the room. One young man even gives a thumbs-up.

"Looks like it's unanimous," Fury concludes. "Congratulations. You get the privilege of reintroducing Captain America to the general public."

Tony gets up too, as does Steve, next to him.

"Thank you, Director," Tony says, and offers his hand to Fury.

Fury grips Tony's hand firmly. "I expect great things of our future partnership, Stark."

"Just to be clear, I'm still not on your payroll," Tony reminds him.

It's a very good arrangement for Tony, really. Fury has promised to give him leads on many intriguing mysteries that SHIELD has information on, and he can go about filming his expeditions as usual. He'll get plenty of new exciting projects out of this, and SHIELD will benefit by having someone sort out their unsolved cases. The only caveat is that if Tony finds something actually dangerous and powerful, he won't be able to show it, but really, he's quite okay with that; he doesn't expect to stumble into classified military material very often, or whatever it is that they're worried about.

"You may not be, but you will have my agent keeping a very close eye on you," Fury says, glancing at Steve.

"You can count on me to do that, sir," Steve says cheerfully.

Of course, that's the best part of it. Tony can't bring himself to be bothered by the fact that Steve will technically be around to look after him for Fury. He'll get to travel the world with Steve as part of his team, and he can't think of anything he'd like more.

Tony had been half thinking that he might wrap up the show after this episode, because he couldn't possibly come up with anything that'd feel exciting after it, neither for him nor for the audience. That's no longer an issue. The continuation of the show will have an entirely different, fresh take on things, with the added point of view of a man from the forties. Come to think of it, they'll probably need to come up with a new title, with both their names in it, and then, it won't really be the same show anymore. What with all the rumors about him and Steve, they'll probably lose some viewers, and if they decide to go public with the relationship, even more, but he expects to also gain quite a few with the new angle. It'll probably balance out.

"Very good, Rogers. Now, I've got more important things to deal with than a TV show. You're dismissed," Fury commands, and motions at the door.

"Yes, sir," Steve says, with a salute.

"Bye, Nick," Tony says, and waves a hand at Fury.

As they turn to head out of the room, Steve places his hand on Tony's back. It could easily be seen as nothing but him herding out the misbehaving TV-star that's now his responsibility—if not for the fond look he gives Tony when their eyes meet.

"So, this is how it's going to be, huh?" Tony asks once they're standing in an empty corridor, the door to the conference room closed behind them.

"Are you going to have a problem with it?" Steve returns. He slides his hand down to the small of Tony's back and pulls him closer.

Tony puts his hands on Steve's biceps. "Well, if you were anyone else, I'd say I won't let some government agent tell me what to do, but since it's you, I may willing to negotiate. Occasionally."

"You know, I'm not a big fan of negotiations. I'm more of an 'actions speak louder than words' sort of person. That's how you won me over in the first place." Both hands now on Tony's waist, Steve pushes him against the nearest wall.

"Honestly, so am I," Tony says, trying to keep his cool even though the situation is fast approaching volcanic levels of hot. "I'm not hosting a talk show, after all."

"Then why are we still talking?" Steve says, and kisses Tony on the lips, right there, in plain sight, with Fury and his PR people mere feet away from them behind the door.

If someone had told Tony this would be where his adventures would lead him when he set off to find the _Valkyrie_ , he would never have believed them.

**Author's Note:**

> To give this story a slightly different feel, I used real-life inspired tech whenever I could: [atmospheric diving suits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_diving_suit), [remotely operated underwater vehicles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remotely_operated_underwater_vehicle), [cryobots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryobot) and [ventricular assist devices](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventricular_assist_device) are all existing technologies. (Also, I've always headcanoned noir!Tony's repulsor pump as some kind of a steampunk VAD.)
> 
> If I were to write a sequel, it would be about that adventure where a lead from SHIELD has Tony and Steve cross paths with Howard!Zemo, because yes, it totally is him in this fusion 'verse!


End file.
